


you can lie, but i know that you're not fine

by staystreetfriend



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Apologies, Awkward Conversations, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Gen, Post-Nogitsune Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 02:06:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14368590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staystreetfriend/pseuds/staystreetfriend
Summary: “So… were you possessed again since I last saw you or something?”Stiles turns around at that, pulling the first serious face Derek’s seen since he annoyingly showed up. “Why would you ask me that?”“You look like shit,” Derek deadpans.





	you can lie, but i know that you're not fine

**Author's Note:**

> This is set after all the void!Stiles fuckery, so maybe in between season three and season four? Anyway, enjoy this horribly-written conversation between Derek and Stiles. Thx for reading :)
> 
> Title is from bitches broken hearts by Billie Eilish.

Stiles Stilinski is nothing if not predictable.

 

That’s what Derek Hale has always thought, ever since he met the lanky boy in the woods that one miserable day. He quickly learned to expect the same kind of behavior from said boy: an astonishing lack of coordination, which, without fail, leads to him inevitably falling all over the place and usually breaking important things; a constant onslaught of goofy comments that can have the potential of being really hurtful, if only Derek were to, like, have feelings, or something; and, undoubtedly his best quality, the boundless ability to connect even the most seemingly-impossible of dots, which always ends up saving everyone’s asses.

 

Not that Derek’s impressed or anything. He’s generally too annoyed with the teenager’s reckless nature to be impressed.

 

So, yeah, Derek Hale has always thought that Stiles Stilinski is nothing if not predictable.

 

Now, however, he isn’t too sure about that.

 

The first time he sees Stiles since all the Nogitsune bullshit is over two months after things are resolved (if “resolved” is even the right word to use… the casualties weren’t exactly _minimal_ ). He doesn’t have the capacity to feel sorry about the fact that it took him so long to simply visit the younger boy, considering he’s never gone out of his way to do so before.

 

And, really, what can Derek say? Stiles is pack, and he always will be, but he isn’t necessarily touchy-feely, or even feely, with anyone, and especially not with Stiles.

 

Right now, though, he feels like grabbing Stiles and shielding him from whatever could potentially come out of hiding and hurt him.

 

Because, frankly, the boy looks like death.

 

“Hey,” Stiles says, feigning nonchalance, as Derek opens the door to his apartment. His eyes are bloodshot, his skin is pale, and, despite only being an inch shorter than the older man, he sort of resembles a trembling child who got separated from his mom in the grocery store.

 

Despite concern making its way through Derek’s entire being, he decides that his typical stoic position works best when dealing with Stiles. “What.”

 

“Wow. Hello to you, too, sourwolf. You know, I _actually_ kinda missed you.” Stiles smiles. “Can… Can I come in?”

 

Derek rolls his eyes, moving out of the way so Stiles can creep into the building. He looks around, eyeballing the area. “Blue walls? You don’t strike me as someone who would be into blue. Black, maybe, but definitely not blue.”

 

“Shut up.” Then, something dawns on him. “How did you even find out where I live?”

 

Stiles looks at him pointedly. “I know how to use the internet, Derek.” He turns around and begins exploring the apartment, making sure to cover every inch of the limited space. Derek rolls his eyes again.

 

“So… were you possessed again since I last saw you or something?”

 

Stiles turns around at that, pulling the first serious face Derek’s seen since he annoyingly showed up. “Why would you ask me that?”

 

“You look like shit,” Derek deadpans.

 

Stiles scoffs, turning his back to the older man once again. “You’re so sweet. Frankly, I know. It hasn’t exactly been the _easiest_ year of my life. But, I mean, you were there. You know. I want to thank you, by the way, for… leaving me alone, I guess. People don’t know how to do that. They don’t realize that their attention is the last thing I want.”

 

Derek nods slowly. “Is that why you’re here, then? You’re here to thank me?”

 

“Not exactly? I guess I’m here to apologize to you.”

 

Derek blinks at Stiles. “If that’s really what you’re here to do, you can leave. There’s no apology for you to give me.”

 

“Derek…” Derek turns around, opening the door.

 

“Bye, Stiles.” He doesn’t budge.

 

“Just let me talk, okay? Please?” Derek’s thinks about rolling his eyes for the third time, but nods instead, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Stiles nods, too, and sighs before running his fingers through his hair. “I did some... awful things. And I’m trying to make up for them. And I don’t know how to do that, because every time I see Scott and Kira together, I wish I could go back in time and make sure I was never born. And every time I see Lydia walking by herself to class, I wish that I would’ve died instead of my mom.” Stiles looks up at Derek. He can see the pain in the boy’s eyes.

 

“Stiles…” Derek says.

 

“You’re such a good person, Derek, despite everything you’ve been through and the fact that you would never admit it. Ever since our paths crossed, I’ve done nothing but make your life worse. I’m sorry for that. Can you forgive me?”

 

The silence between them is heavy. Stiles looks down at his hands and Derek clears his throat.

 

“Don’t forget who brought you and Scott into this world. It was _my_ uncle, Stiles. My psychopathic uncle turned Scott against his will, and it’s _Kate Argent_ ,” Derek says her name with disgust, “who’s responsible for _making_ him that way. So, no, Stiles. I don’t forgive you. Because you’ve done nothing wrong.”

 

When Stiles looks up at him, Derek swears he can see tears in his eyes. “Okay,” Stiles says shakily. “Thanks. I guess you’re right. Still, I’m sorry… I’ll, uh, I’ll go now.”

 

Derek watches Stiles as he makes his way back to the front door.

 

Stiles opens the door and turns around. “You…” He looks frustrated. “You would’ve been a good alpha, by the way. I don’t think anyone’s ever really told you that. I’m sorry you never got a real chance. Sometimes… I wonder what my life would be like if you were my alpha.” He looks Derek in the eyes, smiles softly, and closes the door.

  
His scent covers the apartment. Derek feels like curling up into a ball. He’s annoyed that it smells like Stiles. He’s annoyed that he’s _happy_ that it smells like Stiles.


End file.
